The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

lions among men, and their acts of striking each other,
the spectators were filled with wonder. And both
endued with great strength, Drona and Satyaki, displaying
their lightness of hand in the use of weapons, began
to pierce each other with shafts. Then he of Dasarha’s
race, with his mighty shafts, cut off those of the
illustrious Drona in that battle, and then, within
a moment, the latter’s bow also. Within,
however, the twinkling of an eye, the son of Bharadwaja
took up another bow and strung it. Even that
bow of his was cut off by Satyaki. Drona then,
with utmost quickness waited with another bow in hand.
As often, however, as Drona strung his bow, Satyaki
cut it off. And this he did full nine and seven
times. Beholding then that superhuman feat of
Yuyudhana in battle, Drona, O monarch, thought in his
mind, ’This force of weapons that I see in this
foremost one among the Satwatas exists in Rama and
Dhananjaya and was seen also in Kartavirya and that
tiger among men, viz., Bhishma. The son
of Bharadwaja, therefore, mentally applauded the prowess
of Satyaki. Beholding that lightness of hand equal
unto that of Vasava himself, that foremost of regenerate
ones, that first of all persons conversant with weapons,
was highly gratified with Madhava. And the gods
also, with Vasava at their head, were gratified with
it. The gods and the Gandharvas, O monarch, had
never before witnessed that lightness of hand of the
quickly moving Yuyudhana, although they and the Siddhas
and the Charanas had been acquainted with the feats
of which Drona was capable. Then Drona, that
foremost of persons acquainted with weapons, that
grinder of Kshatriyas, taking up another bow, aimed
some weapons. Satyaki, however, baffling those
weapons with the illusion of his own weapon struck
him with some sharp shafts. All this seemed highly
wonderful. Beholding that superhuman feat of his
in battle, that feat of which nobody else was capable,
and which displayed very great skill, those amongst
thy warriors that were judges of skill, applauded it.
Satyaki shot the same weapons that Drona shot.
Beholding this, that scorcher of foes, viz.,
the preceptor, fought with a little less boldness,
than usual. Then that master of military science,
O king, filled with wrath, invoked celestial weapons
for the destruction of Yuyudhana. Beholding that
terrible foe-slaughtering Agneya weapon, Satyaki,
that mighty bowman, invoked another celestial weapon,
viz., the Varuna. Seeing them both take
up celestial weapons, loud cries of Oh and Alas arose
there. The very creatures having the sky for their
element ceased to range through it. Then the
Varuna and the Agneya weapons which had thus been
grafted on their shafts coming against each other became
fruitless.[140] Just at that time, the sun passed down
in his course. Then king Yudhishthira and Bhimasena,
the son of Pandu, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, desirous
of protecting Satyaki, and the Matsyas, and the Salweya